More Than a Web Developer: Amanda Escaba
Meet Amanda! She is one of our newer team members and has been working with the team on website development. We got the chance to sit down with her and learn why she started a career in web development, where she gets inspiration, and what some of her goals are for the future.
What made you choose this career?
I’ve always had an interest in technology and the arts, so I chose to study computer science in college and explore my options from there. I ended up learning about web development and UX design as a career and thought it was a perfect fit for me – it incorporates some of my biggest interests, I get to be constantly learning since this field is always changing, and I get to challenge myself, and I get to keep creativity in my life.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
The ability to combine my technical thinking and design thinking sides – I used to think I had to sacrifice one for the other, so being able to exercise both types of skills is really valuable to me. I think it’s important to keep both sides in mind when creating a product, especially one with a lot of end users at stake, and I help bridge that disconnect that may exist in companies where the developer team and design team aren’t on the same page.
What characteristics do you possess that are important in your job?
I love keeping organized, which is so important when working on a variety of projects with a bunch of different clients. Creativity is also important not only for coming up with designs but being able to problem solve any issues.
Where do you find inspiration?
Kind of everywhere. A lot of places, but usually artists, designers, and activists I follow on social media, or friends and peers around me working in similar disciplines.
Who is your role model and why?
I can’t say I have just one, but I did look up to a few of my upperclassman friends from school that I’m still in contact with. I respect how they’ve faced the challenges that they’ve had in life and also grown from them. I also really admire the values they uphold and their outlook and approach to life.
What are you most proud of yourself for?
Probably how far I’ve come… From not knowing anything besides MySpace and Tumblr HTML and not knowing the difference between an artist and a designer to being able to design and develop a live website from scratch. The journey was such a struggle and impostor syndrome is rough, so I try to remind myself of what I’ve learned and improved upon.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I have a few hobbies I jump around to from time to time, but this year I’ve been trying to get back into reading. I used to be a really big reader growing up, but I didn’t give myself as much time for it after high school. I’ve been making an effort to read more stories by diverse authors and try different genres out, and it’s been really interesting so far!
What is one goal you wish to achieve in the next 5 years?
Planning a personal project and actually finishing it… I drop so many simple one-off ideas and it would be nice to fully go through with a complex one from start to finish for once!
Here at BBG&G Amanda is more than a web developer. She brings fresh ideas and perspectives. She’s quick, hard-working, and a valuable asset to the team.
By Silvia, Social Media Specialist | August 4, 2022
